Fundraising Resources

F U N D R A I S I N G

R E S O U R C E S

Fundraising can feel daunting, but it can be an incredible opportunity for your close friends and family to make an impact together. In our experience, people tend to be very willing to support us in our endeavors. Here are some tips.

1. Think of at least 20 people in your life you could ask to participate in this readathon experiment. These people can fall into one or more of these categories.

Care about you and want to support you (they don't necessarily care about the cause but will give to support you anyway).
Care about the cause you're supporting.
Want to see change in the world, and are happy to support your experiment.
Really like reading and are excited you're picking up a book.

2. Write a short letter (email, Facebook message) and ask them to participate by sponsoring you.

*Be sure to emphasize that you'd like them to give directly to the organization, for the sake of integrity.

You can use the letter below as a guide. Give them examples of a range they could give. Examples:

15 cents for every page you read (roughly $47 at 10 pages/day)
A flat amount, like $25, $50, $100.

Follow up about a week after you send your letter to answer any questions and ask about their commitment.

3. Share this on social media to invite people who may not have been on your list to sponsor you.

4. If you find people who also want to read and fundraise, tell them to sign up here!

Questions? Need help? Contact readingisresistance@gmail.com

Sample Fundraising Letter

Hi Jen,

Hope you are well!

I'm writing to tell you about a Readathon I'll be doing in the month of May. The current political climate has been paralyzing, and I find myself avoiding the news (and conversations on Facebook walls), and feeling helpless to make any meaningful change. This is not where I want to be. I want to be someone who actively deepens my knowledge and widens my circle of concern. I want to be able to act from a place of compassion and imagination. I want to understand why certain policies create fear in some communities and not in others.

This is an experiment to change the conversation.

To be honest, finding time to read can be a challenge. That's why I'm asking you to keep me accountable. If I know that reading will do good, I will be more likely to accomplish my goal.

I will be reading The Making of Asian America as a response to the needs I see around me. I want to learn more about the history of exclusion and violence against Asians as they immigrated to this country, and how that history affects attitudes and policy today. I didn't learn about this in my history books, and I want to change that. My family has its own history of immigration, and I want to understand their story more too.

I am trying to raise $1000 for Chinatown Community Development Center in San Francisco, one of the main advocacy groups for the residents of Chinatown. Many residents don't speak enough English to fight for their rights. As someone whose family has roots in public housing, it is also meaningful that CCDC does empathy-building work to decrease the level of violence in public housing.

Would you consider becoming a sponsor? You can sponsor me a certain amount per page I read (such as 20 cents per page), or a flat amount regardless of how much I read. I hope to read at least 10 pages a day, around 310 pages.

For now, could you tell me the rate or flat amount at which you’d be willing to sponsor me? This will help me know if I'm reaching my goal. I'd love for you to give your committed amount directly to CCDC. You can do that here. I only ask that you send me a receipt to help me keep track of how much I've raised. If you want to indicate the gift is for my participation in the Reading is Resistance Readathon, I'd love that! You can even link to this website: tinyurl.com/readingisresistance

I will also commit to sharing with you a summary of what I learned as a gift for your generosity.

I will follow up in a week, but in the meantime, if you have any questions, please let me know!

Best,

Carol

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